Automatic doffing process and apparatus for textile machines

ABSTRACT

On textile machines of the simultaneous doffing and/or donning type, full bobbins on spindles are simultaneously replaced by bare bobbins at stand-by positions in front of the spindles by utilizing the movement of an elongated beam for transportation of bobbins via chucks hung thereto, which beam rests outside the range of movement of a travelling member such as an automatic yarn knotter during the non-working cycle, along preselected courses while positively guiding the bobbins by a pilot mechanism away from any contact with surrounding machine parts.

United States Patent 1191 Uraya et a1. [4 July 16, 1974 [54] AUTOMATIC DOFFING PROCESS AND 3,065,926 11/1962 Whitehead, Sr. et al.... 242/1302 X APPARATUS FOR TEXTILE MACHINES 3,116,586 l/1964 lngham, .Ir. 57/52 3,123,967 3/1964 lngham, Jr. 57/52 Inventors: Tohru y 'HlmshI Kato, both of 3,286,949 11/1966 Whitehead, s1. et al 242/1302 Kobe; Hajimu Imai, Kyoto; Buron 3,319,409 5/1967 Bakker 57/156 X Suganuma, Kyoto; Masao Uehara, 3,370,411 2/1968 Schulz et al. 57/52 Kyoto; Yasuaki samura Kyoto all 3,382,659 5/1968 Schulz 61 al. 57/54 f Japan 3,512,731 5/1970 Kitamura 242/1302 3,681,906 8/1972 Burgermeister et al. 57/52 [73] Assignees: Kanegafuchi Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha; Murat M l Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert both, of f f Assistant Examiner-Charles Gorenstein Sufmdafku; 'l ochlalcho Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodhams, Blanchard and M1nam1-ku, Kyto-shl, all of, Japan Flynn [22] Filed: Dec. 27, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 212,093 [571 ABSTRACT On textile machines of the simultaneous doffing and- Forelgn Apphcatlon Pnomy Data /or donning type, full bobbins on spindles are simulta- PFE-.. 81. .?7Q Japan -45-126936 neously replaced by bare bobbins at stand-by positions in front of the spindles by utilizing themovement of gf gjgi an elongated beam for transportation of bobbins via [58] Fieid 57/52 54 3 34 TT chucks hung thereto, which beam rests outside the 242/46 range of movement of a travelling member such as an automatic yarn knotter during the non-working cycle, [56] References cued along preselected courses while positively guiding the bobbins by a pilot mechanism away from any contact UNITED STATES PATENTS with'surrounding machine parts. 1,252,404 1/1918 Crane 57/52 2,258,768 10/1941 K111111111 et ah... 242146.21 12 Chums, 56 Drawing Figures 2,628,468 2/1953 Greene 57/52 3,059,405 10/1962 lngham, Jr. 57/52 PATENIEB JUL 1 6 I974 sum on or 1 PATENTED UBIH Y 3.823537 sum osur19 PATENTEU JUL 1 61974 saw us nr 19 Fig. 50

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1. An improved automatic process for simultaneously doffing all full packaged bobbins from spindles of a textile machine and carrying said bobbins to an unloading station provided with pegs for holding bobbins, by way of chucks being capable of alternately engaging or disengaging with a shoulder of an axial bore of each bobbin and carried by at least a movable beam extending along said machine, comprising the steps of: displacing said chucks to positions axially above corresponding spindles when a doffing operation is required; displacing said chucks downward to said spindles holding full packaged bobbins; inserting each of said chucks into said bore of full packaged bobbins mounted on corresponding spindles; displacing said chucks upward whereby said chucks engage with said shoulder of corresponding full packaged bobbins; rotating said spindles through a prescribed angle in the direction of the normal winding after said full bobbins have been caught by said chucks; displacing each of said chucks to a position axially above corresponDing pegs mounted on said unloading station; displacing said chucks toward said unloading station and mounting said full packaged bobbins on corresponding pegs; disengaging said chucks from said bobbins by a small displacement of each of said chucks into said bore of each bobbin; and then displacing said chucks to a rest station thereof, all of said displacing motions of said chucks being carried out simultaneously with a predetermined program while guiding them positively away from any contact with surrounding machine parts.
 2. An improved automatic doffing process according to claim 1, wherein said guiding is carried out by turning said bobbins under control about the axis of said beam.
 3. An improved automatic process for simultaneously doffing full packaged bobbins from spindles of textile machine according to claim 1, further comprising a donning operation for automatically supplying fresh bobbins from a given standby station in front of said spindles onto spindles wherefrom said full packaged bobbins have been doffed, said donning operation being carried out by; displacing said chucks to positions axially above corresponding bare bobbins waiting at said given standby positions; displacing said chucks downward to said bare bobbins; inserting each of said chucks into said bore of bare bobbins positioned at said standby positions; displacing said chucks upward whereby said chucks engage with said shoulder of corresponding bare bobbins, displacing each of said chucks to a position axially above corresponding spindles wherefrom said full packaged bobbins have been doffed; displacing said chuck toward corresponding spindles and mounting said bare bobbins on said corresponding spindles; disengaging said chucks from said bare bobbins by a small displacement of each of said chucks into said bore of each bare bobbin; and then displacing said chucks to a rest station thereof; all of said displacing motions of said chucks being carried out simultaneously with a predetermined program while guiding them positively away from any contact with surrounding machine parts.
 4. An improved automatic doffing process according to claim 3, wherein said guiding is carried out by turning said bobbins under control about the axis of said beam.
 5. An improved automatic apparatus for simultaneously doffing all full packaged bobbins from spindles of a textile machine and carrying said bobbins by way of chucks capable of alternately engaging and disengaging with a shoulder of an axial bore of each bobbin, comprising a movable beam extending along said machine and turnably holding said chucks, flexible element means for displacing said beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof between a rest position and a plurality of dispositions including a position for inserting said chucks into a bore of corresponding full packaged bobbins held by spindles respectively, said flexible element means including a pair of flexible elements connected to said beam for suspending same, pilot means for piloting said chucks positively away from any contact with surrounding machine parts, and control means connected to said pair of flexible elements for controlling displacing motion of said flexible elements for moving said beam between said positions according to a predetermined program.
 6. An improved automatic doffing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said pilot means includes hanger arms, one for each of said spindles, each of said hanger arms having free ends each supporting a chuck thereon, said arms being fixed on said beam and said beams being turnably mounted on its axis.
 7. An improved automatic doffing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means includes a piston for causing the delivery of said flexible elements, a drive motor for causing a difference in the delivering length between said pair of flexible elements and a differential gear mechanism operated by said drive motor.
 8. An improved auTomatic doffing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said flexible element means includes a second pair of flexible elements connected to said beam for suspending same, said second pair of flexible elements being displaced longitudinally of said beam from said first-mentioned pair of flexible elements, and each of said pair of flexible elements including first and second flexible elements having one end of each connected to said beam, said first and second flexible elements in the vicinity of said one end thereof extending outwardly from said beam in different radial directions relative to the longitudinal axis of said beam so that said flexible elements define an angle therebetween.
 9. An improved doffing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means includes first and second rotatable drive means, and wherein the other end of said first flexible element is connected to said first rotatable drive means and wherein the other end of said second flexible element is connected to said second rotatable drive means.
 10. An improved automatic apparatus for simultaneously doffing all full packaged bobbins from spindles of a textile machine and carrying said bobbins by way of chucks capable of alternately engaging or disengaging with a shoulder of an axial bore of each bobbin, comprising at least a movable beam extending along said machine and turnably holding said chucks, means for displacing said beam between a rest position thereof and a plurality of dispositions including a position for inserting said chucks into a bore of corresponding full packaged bobbins held by spindles respectively, pilot means for piloting said chucks positively away from any contact with surrounding machine parts, said pilot means including pilot sticks each having a free end and operator means accompanying said pilot sticks for control thereof, magnet means disposed at the free ends of said pilot sticks for acting on said bobbins, and means for controlling displacing motion of said beam according to a predetermined program.
 11. An improved automatic doffing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control means includes a pair of cams mounted on a common rotational cam shaft connected to a given drive source which is actuated for rotation at the time of doffing.
 12. An improved automatic apparatus for simultaneously doffing all full packaged bobbins from spindles of a textile machine and carrying said bobbins by way of chucks capable of alternately engaging or disengaging with a shoulder of an axial bore of each bobbin, comprising at least a movable beam extending along said machine and turnably holding said chucks, means for displacing said beam between a rest position thereof and a plurality of dispositions including a position for inserting said chucks into a bore of corresponding full packaged bobbins held by spindles respectively, pilot means for piloting said chucks positively away from any contact with surrounding machine parts, means for controlling displacing motion of said beam according to a predetermined program, and drive means for said spindles including a drive shaft and belt means drivingly connected between said drive shaft and said spindles for rotating same, said drive means including clutch means associated with said shaft and having a driven clutch disk nonrotatably connected to said shaft and a driving clutch disk engagable with said driven clutch disk, fluid pressure cylinder means drivingly connected to said driving clutch disk and including a movable piston rod and arm means drivingly connected between said piston rod and said driving clutch disk. 